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New Jersey, Virginia, and Bipartisan America

As Republican Chris Christie cruised to re-election in Blue New Jersey, Democrat Terry McCauliffe squeaked out a victory in less-and-less-Red Virginia. Glenn Thrush, White House reporter for Politico, and Nancy Solomon, managing editor of New Jersey Public Radio, discuss the two races and what it says about the GOP, the changing American electorate, and the 2016 presidential race. Plus: a check-in with WAMU's Northern Virginia reporter Michael Pope.

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Comments [24]

I have to agree that Christie could do surprisingly well in a general vs. Clinton. But my gut tells me he will never get that far. He personally doesn't have the stomach to shovel enough sh*t to be accepted by the Far Right...This is a point of magnetism for the Independents - precisely the group a pol needs in order to win an election - but it won't attract enough 'winger donor funds to get him past New Hampshire.

My prediction he's done by March 2016. (This opinion subject to change if the GOP grows up and the TP is no longer a motive force in national politics. The Cuccinelli 'near miss' has given them hope.)

All of those issues are real and worth looking into for NJ voters. It's surprising he gets a "pass" so easily from them when he really hasn't accomplished much as governor but will that matter to a national audience? I don't think so. It certainly speaks to his blue state appeal however.

Also They're not real scandals (at least not yet) and they're too complex for catchy soundbites. As I've said before Christie is a love him or hate him guy and that is good for turn out. Genuine progressives are rare in the USA, most blue staters are like me, socially liberal and fiscally conservative i.e. classical liberal bordering on libertarian. A guy like Christie could flip a lot of states red if he faces Hillary or god forbid Joe Biden.

Gosh! I hope not. I agree with you that Mr. Christie's pivot for GOP voters would be replacing the perception of RINO 'softness' with 'the Left hates him so it's okay to vote for him." However, Mr Christie has more going against him than just Progressive snobbery.

-Does Mary Pat C REALLY have $32M of Sandy relief funds tucked away somewhere?-Why was Christie so quick to make no-bid deals for Sandy clean up? They are costing muni's 3X the cost of the standard bid process. What is Christie getting for it?-The Competence question...Why did the state lose the RTTF grant? Park the trains in the Meadowlands? Raise the NJTP and GSP tolls by 50%?

There's enough real stuff to bash Christie with other than his BMI or public demeanor.

I love how snobby the Christie haters are ... do you realize that the fear and disdain of the holier than thou progressives is catnip to the republican base? They will forget all there RINO rhetoric the second they start to realize how much he is hated by the people they hate. Christie would demolish Hillary, he'll put on the charm and pour on the sandy sap and she'll seem cold, brittle and calculating, which she is. She'd make a far better president, sure, but not if she can't get elected. If Christie wins the primary watch out in 2016.

Christie's self-serving speech last night was reminiscent of the keynote he gave at the Republican convention where he focused on himself and made no mention of Romney. Of the speeches I saw last night -- McAuliffe & DeBlasio -- Christie's had the least policy or vision it was all about him. Very striking. I expect as he turns to the national stage his chickens will soon be coming home to roost. I don't see him ever being a national candidate.

"Cucci only lost because of the dc bureaucracy occupationThere's no room in the GOP for squishy moderatesSantorum 2016!!"

Keep dreaming, hjs, the Democrats will have a far easier time sweeping the 'ideologically' pure Santorum and his ilk, aside.

The country needs two strong parties to coalesce around a final compromise position. The problem with the ideologically pure is that they believe compromise is failure and therefore would ruin what they cannot rule. For a democratic republic, their tactics are immature and self-defeating.

The difference between Christie's performance and his PR is more than just parallax.

The media has been more than willing to play ball on his shortcomings. I think they are collectively afraid of drawing Trenton's ire but in a real sense, to do so is to ignore the reason they exist. Journalists spend 20% of their time reporting the facts and then 80% covering the circus. Like the failure to uncover Bush's 'secret agenda' to invade Iraq, the press is failing to do it's jobs properly and therefore the people are uninformed.

Too much is being made of Christie's "landslide". The NJ Dem's abandoned their candidate. Actually, she was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb. They knew Christie was going to win as the Savior of Sandy, though I am still not sure what he did. Take note that the NJ Legislature is still solidly Democratic. Remember, all politics is local.

Chris Christie talking about listening? And respect? You bet he's talking over New Jerseyans - I'm remembering his listening and respecting behavior at town hall meetings and I bet I'm not the only one who had a good chuckle at that speech.

Christie talking about showing respect is a joke. This guy is nothing more than a loud-mouthed bully who doesn't want to listen to anyone. He's called people who've questioned him or his policies as "stupid" and "idiot." The thought of him in the White House is almost scarier than a president Ted Cruz or Rand Paul.

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